Barça-PSG: "A leader who showed the way"… Kylian Mbappé guided Paris to the last four of the Champions League
He had revenge to take. Behind and almost invisible during the first leg, six days earlier, Kylian Mbappé scored the goal of PSG’s qualification against Barcelona, Tuesday April 16, before scoring a double to seal his team’s presence in the last four of the Champions League. Less sparkling than he could be in other matches, notably during his hat-trick at Camp Nou in February 2021, the top scorer of this 2023-2024 edition of the C1 was decisive when the scenario asked, acting like a boss.
Established at the forefront of the Parisian attack by Luis Enrique, who did not retry the option of a false nine with Marco Asensio, Kylian Mbappé did not have to create the gaps. Supported by flamboyant wingers Bradley Barcola and Ousmane Dembélé, the native of Bondy (Seine-Saint-Denis) showed himself less in his usual register of accelerations and dribbling, to concentrate on center-forward tasks .
Constantly caught by an amputated central defense of Ronald Araujo after 30 minutes, he created spaces on the sides for his midfielders, who devoured them, and carried out pressing as we have rarely seen from him. He also knew how to act as a surface fox on a double occasion where he came up against Marc-André ter Stegen, then Jules Koundé (28th).
Discreet during the first hour of play, the Parisian striker never overplayed, combining when necessary in particular with Fabian Ruiz whom he launched perfectly to the left of the area, rather than playing the shot for him ( 52nd). This same Fabian Ruiz, definitely not stingy with his efforts, whom he had served earlier in the match on a split, while he was in a position as he likes them on the left side.
Above all, the vice-captain of PSG did not tremble when everyone expected him. After a penalty obtained by the man of the match, Ousmane Dembélé, Kylian Mbappé appeared in front of Marc-André ter Stegen to offer the goal of virtual qualification to PSG. The result ? A surgical strike into the left corner of the Barcelona goalkeeper who, although starting on the right side, was unable to reach it. The French international, however, failed during his last attempt from 11 meters during the Coupe de France semi-final against Rennes, two weeks earlier.
